Improvement in boat-detaching- apparatus



To all whom it may concer-71.

tait

THOMAS L. CUTHBERI, OF CHARLESTON-COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO BIMSELF, kNATHANIEL LEM, ANI) EDWARD J MARKS.

Lene/rs Patent No. 83,136, zaad october 2o, 186s.

INIPROVEMENT vB().AT-DEIiACHINGr APPARATS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maklngpart of .the same.

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. GUTHBERT, in the county of Charleston, and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and improved Mode of Lowering and Detaching Life-Boats or Yawls from their Davits or from over ships sides; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same.

-The naturey of my invention consists in providing the ordinary ships boat or yawl with a trame-work, casing, or hammock, A, (plate 0,) which is itself hung on and lowered by the pulley-ropes P P from the davits D D: In this hammock, lor, as I term it, marine cradle, A, the life-boat rests, free and nnattached, andoats out from it naturally to the rear on touching the surface. of the water.r

To enable others skilled in the ait to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and use.

I construct my life-boat or yawl in any of the known forms, andI also retain the ordinary style of dar/it,` with the exception that I connect the upper extremities Vof the cranes C C (plate A) by a stout bar, B, of

iron or steel, fitted at neend with a pivot-pin, and at the other with a slot and slide, thus allowing the cranes to be turned in toward each other, and sling thek boat in when not inuse. The slot is provided with a clamp,-

X, to brace the cranes when they are inposition, either in or out.

The object of this bar B is to support a middle pulley-block, M, through which the pulley-ropes P P pass back from the other Vblocks b b to the hands of the persons loweringthe boats cradle, at Y. l' The benefit derived from this arrangement is the avoidance ofdanger arising om irregular lowering, by which one end of the boat is dropped, and persons -thrown into. the

water thereby.

I will now proceed to describe the 'construction and use of the improvement which I propose to patent, viz, the marine cradle A..

First.

A,) of iron, steel, or copper, which I connect at their smaller curves by a stout bar of similar metal, 3, which bar is attached to and hung on the pulley-blocks b b', from which it is lowered. This constitutes a sort of frame-hammock, in which the. yawl rests naturally, as in a double swing.

Second On each outer side of this frame, and at a I provide twofstout oval hoops, 1 2, v(platev level with the yawls gunwale, I attach `a hollow cylindrical float, 5, (plate A,) extending from hoop to hoop, and provided with conical caps at each end. The diameter of these oats should he about one-third of the yawlis beam'. The longer axis of the elliptic hoops.

should be three times, and the shorter `or transverse axis of the same oneand a half time the yawls beam.

The hoop shouldbe so curved that the boat or yawl rests supported by th'e hoops at the gunwales, right and left, and'at the keel. Ihe material of the iioats must be of copper, zinc, or, if practicable, of any other material suitable for 'the purpose; The connections between the hoops and the tloats should be of the mostV substantial character, the best mode being by wire cables passing around the float, and lashed to the hoop at a level with the yawls gunwale.

Third.` To prevent the boats swagging with the cradle, :cable-chains are hung from the ships side to the extremities of the inner iioat, thus preventing the waves burying either end of the cradle in the'water.' These cablesare seen at R It', (plate A.)

Supposing, now, that the cradle A, (plate A,) with the yawl Z in rest, is 'to be lowered to the Water, and that the ship is under speed:

First. If the persons! lowering the boat remain` on the ship. In this case two men seize both of the ropes at Q, and, by holding both ropes together, afford an equal and regular motion to the pulley-blocks, which connect with the cradle. On reaching the water, the

boat floats out, and the cradle is ready to be .againhoisted, and to serve for as many yawlsas may be pro vided to be used.

Second. Ifrthe crew inthe yawl themselves lower, care must be taken that the ropes are disengaged from the hand instantly on touching the water, for which purpose dangling ends should be avoided. What I claim as essentially my own invention, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

The marine cradle, by which ships boats or yawls may be lowered and detached, in the manner described in the, above specification, or any other substantially' thesame, and which will produce the vintended effect.

. THOS. L. GUTHBERT.

Witnesses:

Geom C: NEIL, E. HOFFMAN. 

